193. This One Is Half Full

We explore what optimism actually is and is not, moving beyond half full versus half empty toward peace, joy, acceptance, and responsible action. Drawing on psychology, Buddhism, and our own religious upbringings, we consider whether optimism is innate, learned, or a practice that shapes how we meet uncertainty and tragedy. We wrestle with how optimism can slide into apathy in politics and church culture, and close with small rituals and a Tao Te Ching passage that frames hope as spacious presence rather than certainty. Host Recommendations Emily: Do the thing you’ve been afraid to do. Stop hovering and just jump in. Stephen: Be the person who gently puts bugs outside (or befriends them). Josh: Get on a simple “kick” — a small, playful obsession you look forward to. Host DE-Recommendations Emily: Smoking (take care of your lungs). Stephen: Mindless social-media scrolling — unfollow ~20 clutter accounts. Josh: Fruit Loops (if it looks like a rainbow, it should taste like one). Join us: Join our free Discord community by emailing us at theravelpod@gmail.com for an invite link! Take a minute to drop us a 5-star rating and a 1-2 sentence review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Credits: Theme Song: In Full Color by Louie Zong on Spotify and Bandcamp Artwork: Yarn and Ravel by Dixie Lee Henning @dixieleedraws Produced by Stephen Henning, Josh Lieuallen, and Emily Rettinghouse Editing/Audio Engineering by Stephen Henning Certified Organic benediction by Reverend Emily Rettinghouse, MDiv ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★